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Reflecting on September
This week, I am reflecting on my September accomplishments and looking ahead to October. I took on a lot of challenges this month and October will likely be similar. For the month of September, I tried a “no-spend” challenge, a 30-day minimalist challenge, and a state park hiking challenge. I’d say they were all pretty…
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No-Spend September: Groceries and Meals Week 4
This week is the end of no-spend/shelf-cook September, and I am honestly a little sad! I am looking forward to my October challenges, but I definitely still have items in my pantry and freezer that I need a little push to use up; I may need to resurrect shelf cooking for the first few weeks…
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Crabapple Nut Muffins
This week, A was very curious about trying to use the crabapples on the tree in our yard in some way. I started researching crabapple jelly recipes, but I had some reservations about that option because we do not have a water bath canner or a good piece of kitchen equipment for pressing the juice…
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No-Spend September: Week Three Groceries and Meals
This week, meal planning out of the pantry started to get more challenging. I had a special event planned for the kids Saturday night as well, so I knew I would probably need to do some grocery shopping this week. Still, after last week and all my no-spend September cheats thus far, I wanted to…
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Morning Routines
This week, I am reflecting back on the first month of homeschooling. Back-to-school always marks the start of a new season for us. We reign in our beach/sun/pool/summer-loving selves and return to a season of routines and schedules. This year, I am homeschooling three children – 1st, 5th, and 7th grades – while also grappling…
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No-Spend September: Week Two Groceries and Meals
This week, I’m digging in on no-spend September and trying to buy nothing whatsoever for our weekly meals. I started this week with a readymade list of pantry and freezer items that I had made in preparation for week one plus some leftovers in the fridge. Leftovers and My Plan for the Week Leftovers in…
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Vegan Enchilada Quinoa Dip
This week, I improvised a slow cooker meal and I was very happy with the results. My kids were less enthusiastic, though they ate the leftovers with fewer complaints so maybe it was just a mood. Do your kids ever look at the food you’ve made and make a face – before they have even…
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No-Spend September: Week One Groceries and Meals
This week was the first full week in no-spend September! I began training for this month-long challenge two weeks ago with my $50 grocery challenge last week and my $100 grocery challenge the week before that. The Preparation The key to any no-spend week or month when thinking about groceries, for me, is shelf cooking.…
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My Minimalist Wardrobe
This week….I got inspired. I got the urge to purge. I felt the need to weed. OK, that’s it for really bad rhymes. I have been interested in minimalism and downsizing my “stuff” for many years now. I’ve always enjoyed clearing out clutter and organizing spaces. When I was a kid, I actually cleaned and…
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$50 Grocery Challenge
This week, we kicked it up a notch. I set out to spend less than $50 on groceries and cook entirely out of my pantry and freezer otherwise. Here’s how it went. What I Bought I mentioned in my previous grocery challenge post that I shop for a family of six including my mother. My…